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Sept. 20, 1932. G. c. CHASE DECIMAL EQUIVALENT SELECTOR MECHANISM FiledFeb. l5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l H lf GHOWKELV sept; 2o, 1932. G. C. CHASEFiled Feb. l5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 2o, 1932.

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G. C. CHASE DECIMAL EiQUIVALENT SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed Feb'. 15, 1929:9 "if if 19 9 9 9 9 936@ 4 Sheets-Sheet sept. 20, 1932. G. C, CHA-s;1,878,757

DECIMAL EQUIVALENT SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed Feb. 1,5, 1929 4Sheets-Sheet 4 M mi :Ft-:EVE:

FLA' Li m Q'ativ ,y n u 1FL V 0 u MW y GEORGE C. CHASE, OF

Patented Sept. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEl SOUTH ORANGE, NEWJERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 MONROE CALCULAT- ING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ORANGE, NEWJERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE DECIMAL EQUIVALENT SELECTOR MECHANISMApplication led February 15, 1929. Serial No. 340,187.

The invention has relation to selecting mechanism for' calculatingmachines, and more particularl to means for setting-up decimalequivalents of fractional values, to be transferred to the numeralwheels of the machine in the calculation of problems in addition,subtraction, multiplication, or division.

The invention consists in the novel vconstuction and combination ofparts, as set forth in the appended claims.

An object of the invention is the provision of a calculating machinewherein certain columns of selector mechanism may be used for theordina-ry decimal calculations and also used to represent decimalequivalents, whereby the capacity of the machine is increased.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a calculating machine to which the invention isshown as applied;

Fig. 2 is a section through the keyboard of same, the section beingtaken on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a fragment of the keyboard, with theextreme right-hand Zero key omitted;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the righthand side of the keyboard;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a group of selector rock bars, thedecimal-equivalent values represented by the lugs of said bars beingindicated in Roman numerals.

In these drawings, the invention is shown as applied to a calculatingmachine construct-k ed in accordance with the disclosure of copendingaplicatiou of E. F. Britten, Jr., Serial Number 337,073, filed February2,1929, and entitled Registering mechanism. The selector mechanismillustrated is shown in United States Patent 1,399,652, issued to E. E.Phinney on December 6, 1921, entitled Setting-up means for calculatingmachines.l and further in co-pending application of E. F. Britten, Jr.,Serial Number 57,868, filed September 22, 1925 and entitled Zero keymechanism for key-set registers.

According to the Phinney patent above referred to, two-part selectorgears 5 are mount ed to rotate with shaft 4 and have groups of gearteeth of varying lateral extent, said members being selectivelypositioned into the plane of gears 12, in driving connection the numeralwheels 13 of the machine. The gear members 5 are positioned by rock bars19 provided with lugs 33, offset from the plane of the bars to differentextent, representing settings of the gear members 5 corresponding to thedigits one to nine, in arithmetical progression. Similar lugs 34 areprovided on certain of the bars 19, and are offset to represent, upon agroup of said bars, progression according to the decimal equivalents ofthe fractions of a given denomination. The rock bars 19 are set and heldin the selected position by means of decimal keys 18 and fractional keys35. These keys have cam ends 26 adapted to operate pairs of rock bars 19in accordance with lugs 33 or 34 lying in the plane of the particularcam ends 26. The cam surfaces of the ends 26 are all identical, thevariation in the amount set being controlled by the difference in theangle of lugs 33 and 34. The fractional keys 35 are provided with a.plurality of cam portions 26, located upon offset portions 36 of suchkeys overlying a plurality of columns of rock bars 19.

The above as follows:

If it is desired to set up the numeral seven in a decimal column, a key18 bearing the numeral seven is depressed, whereby one of the relatedrock bars 19 is moved to bring the five teeth of one of the gear members5 into the plane of the gear 12, and the other rock bar 19 is moved tobring two teeth of the complementary gear member 5 into the plane of thegear 12. Subsequent rotation of shaft 4 will thus cause seven gear teethto act upon the gear 12, to advance or redescribed mechanism operates ntract the numeral wheels 13 seven steps.

Similarly, depression of the fractional key marked seven-eighths willset-up the decimal equivalent thereof; tive and three, or eight, in theleft-hand column; tive and two, or

with

seven, in the next right-hand column; and

five in the extreme right-hand column (Fig. 5

Each column of keys 18 and 35 is provided with a key-locking bail 6,(Figs. 2 & 3) pivoted at its ends in the framing of the machine, andactuated by spring .7 to engage the notches of the keystems. The stemsof the keys numbered 1 to 9 and 0, have upper and lower notches 8 and 9(Fig. 3) the lower notch 9 being engaged by the locking bail 6 When thekeys are in raised position and the upper notches 8, being engaged bythe bail to hold the keys in depressed position. A suitable cam edge ofthe keystem acts in the depression of the respective key to cam thelocking bail outwardly, thereby releasing any other depressed key of thesaine column. Each key is provided with the usual return spring.

In order that any amount previously set in the right-hand columns ofkeys 18, may be automatically cleared upon depression of a key 35, thebail 6 of the keys 35 is connected to the tivo adjacent bails G relatedto the keys 18 by a bar 3T, so that the operation of these three bailsby the keys 85 Will be identical (Fig. In order that this bar 37 may notcause the release of a decimal key 18 by the depression of a decimal keyin another column, bar 37 is connected to the tivo decimal bails 6 by apin and slot arrangement, allowing relative movement of the two bails.

A clear key is provided, operable upon depression to depress all of theO-keys simultaneously for which purpose a universal bar 14 is providedunder which engage loiver lugs 10 of the O-keys, said universal barhaving an end extension (not shown) enga-ged by a shoulder of saidclear-key.

The above described arrangement of 0 clear-keys, provides for thesplitting of the keyboard between any columns desired, so that keys inthe selected columns are rendered irresponsive to release by the clearkey.

lVhen it is desired to set an item permanently in the keyboard, theclear-key is held in depressed position While value keys in the selectedcolumns are being set. Upon release of the clear key, all of the.O-kej-,f's .vill remain depressed, notwithstanding that value keys arealso locked-down in certain columns, and subsequent operation of theclearkey Will not release value keys set in this manner, since the zerokeys are already depressed and the locking bails will not be operated.Keys in other columns, set in the ordinary manner Will, of course, bereleased by said depression of the clear-key.

Because of the connecting bar 37, simultaneous depression of a key andof clear key 15, Will result in locking the decimal equivalent in theselector mechanism related to the right-hand columns of decimal kevs andas Well as in the selector relating to the fraictional keys.

The usual non-repeat mechanism is employed to clear the entire keyboard,said mechanism operating to release any value keys Which have beenrendered irresponsive to release by the clear-key as above described.This mechanism has been fully described in application 57,868.

It is obvious that the fractional keys 35 are not limited to location atthe extreme right-hand side of the keyboard; that the columns requiredto express the decimal equivalent may all be utilized also for decimalkeys 18, and that several columns of fractional keys may be employed,representing fractions of dilierent denomination, and differing fromeach other in the length of the oliset portion 36 and in the arrangementof the rock-bar lugs 33 With which they engage.

I claim:

1. In a key-set calculating machine having a series of decimal numeralWheels, and carry mechanism connecting all said Wheels; selectormechanism adapted to set up direct key values and decimal equivalentvalues in a plurality of denominational orders, compris- `ingdifferentially settable elements cooperating with said numeral Wheels,decimal keys controlling said elements in given ordinal places, andfractional keys controlling said elements in the same ordinal places.

2. In a key-set calculating machine, selector mechanism adapted to setupdirect key values and decimal equivalent values in a plurality ofdenominational orders, including a plurality of denominational columnsof decimal keys, means for locking said keys in active positionincluding a locking bail associated with each column, fractional keysrelated to the same denominational orders, and means for releasinglocked decimal keys upon movement of a fractional key to activeposit-ion, including a member connecting the related locking bails andprovided With a lost motion connection with the decimal key hails,whereby depression of a decimal key Will not release keys in othercolumns.

3. In a calculating machine, a plurality of value selecting unitscomprising levers adapted to be dill'erentially positioned, a bank ofkeys located above the levers of each of said units and depressible tocontact and position said levers differentially, and a bank of fractionkeys having extensions adapted to directly contact and differentiallyposition the levers associated with a plurality of said banks of keys.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature.

GEORGE C. CHASE.

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